Head neck cancer can be treated effectively and completely cured if they are diagnosed early. The primary goal in most of the head neck cancer treatment options is to eradicate cancer, but it is also critical to be able to preserve the functioning of the associated nerves, tissues, and organs. While this is not impossible to do, it is probably the most challenging part of the treatment.
The treatment of head neck cancer will greatly depend on several factors:
- One of the main things that will determine the course of the treatment is the stage of the head neck cancer. The other thing that is of relevance is the type of cancer.
- Secondly, what is important to consider at this point is the kind of side effects that can occur with various treatments.
- Finally, the patient’s overall health and the choices regarding the treatment plan play a key role. Head neck cancer has many treatment options.
The aim of any surgery that is conducted for head neck cancer is to remove all the cancerous tissues and a portion of the healthy tissue around the damaged tissues as well.
- Laser Surgery: This kind of surgery is done when the patient has cancer in the larynx, and such a surgery is conducted to eliminate the tumor at an early stage.
- Excision: Typically, excision involves the removal of the tumor along with healthy tissue surrounding the area. If the cancerous tissue is small, then an excision can be carried out followed by radiation or chemotherapy.
- Dissection of the neck: If the oncologist feels that cancer has spread and it is essential to cover a larger area around the neck, then a dissection is conducted where the lymph nodes around the neck area are removed.
All or some of the above may be employed to treat cancer, but this is strongly dependent on the extent to which cancer has spread. Associate surgeries to help recover some or all the functions of the affected organ may have to be undertaken as well.
